Sectional forming roll for tube mills



Oct. 22, 1963 H. RUPLE 3,107,7l8

SECTIONAL FORMING ROLL FOR TUBE MILLS l Filed Jan. o. 1 961 3 Sheets-Sheet- LEWIS H. RUPLE BY Www 4). ZM

ATTORNEY Oct. 22, 1963 L. H. RUPLE SECTIONAL FORMING ROLL FOR TUBE MILLS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. o. 1961 HII INVENTOR.

y' LEWIS H. RUPLE %Law/LL ATTORNEY Oct. 22, 1963 L. H. RUPLE 3,l07,7l8

` SECTIQNAL FORMING ROLL FOR TUBE MILLS Filed Jan. 1961 V 3 Sheets-Sheet :s

INVENTR. LEWIS H; RUPLE 41. &4%

ATTORNEY United States Parent O 3,107,718 SECTIONAL FORMING ROLL FOR TU BE MILLS Lewis H. Ruple, Perrysburg, Ohio, assignor to Abhey Etna Machine Company, Perrysburg, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Jan. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 81,783 1 claim. (Ci. 153-54) This invention -relates to tube mills in which a long flat strip or ribbon of sheet metal is gradually formed into tube tonin and then the edges are welded together. More particularly, however, this nvention is 'concerned with the sectional -forming rolls and an object is to improve the structure of the seotional fonming rol-is for rendering them more efiicient, sturdier,` more rugged, and cap able of effectively withstanding the thrusts imposed thereon, an tacilitate the assem bly.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafiter appear and -for purposes of -illustraton -bu-t not of li mitation, an embodiment of the i-nvention is shown on the :accompanying drawings in which FIGURE l is a side elevation of stand containing driving and forrning rolls of a tube mili;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of the sectional forming roll, parts being broken away to show in section the structure of the roll parts;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view substantially the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional View of one of the flange sections of :the forming roll. r

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a supporting base or bed on which is mounted an up right stand containing a pair of driving and forming rolls, the stand consistng of -a pair of upright laterally spaced pedestals 11 and 12, bolted firmly to the bed 10. Disposed between and carried by the pedestals 11 and 12 is an upper feed roll 14 which has a transversely curved peripheral surface, the roll being fixed for rotation to a transverse spindle 15 which is suitably mounted in bearings in the pedestals 11 and 12. A tie rod 13 provides an operative connection with ndjusting screws which enable the spindle 15 to be adjusted vertically firom a single point on the front pedestal 12. At one end of the spindle is disposed a universal joint 16 to which is connected a driving shaiit 17 for positively rrotating the roll 14.

Disposed below the roll 14 is a lower feed and forming roll, generaily indicated at 18, which is mounted on a spindle 19 rotatable at its ends in suitable bearings in the pedestals 11 and 12. The roll 18 is similarly provided with a universal joint 20 and has a driving sha-ft 21.

The lower forming and feed rol-l 18 is made up of three separate sections. It has a central d riving section 22 and a pair of independently rotatable flange sections 23 and 24 arranged respectively at `opposite `ends of the central section 22. The central section 22 is connected .to the spindle 19 hy a key 25 and the exterior of the section 22 confonms to the curvature of the upper roll 14 so that a ribbon or strip of sheet metal between these two trolls is clampingly engaged by the driven central section 22 and -the upper roll 14 for feeding the strip or ribbon forwardly as well as to assist in the sha-ping of the strip. The upper roll 14 and the d riving section 22 are driven at mating peipheral speeds by the respective drive shafts 17 and 21.

The flange sections 23 rand 24 are similarto each other except the curvature on one side of course is in one direction and the other is in the opposite direction, so that detai-l description of one of the flange sections is deemed suihcient. It will be noted that the exterior of each flange section has an Upward and outward curvature but this curvature varies in accordance with the particular location of the stand because as the strip advances, the curva- 28 which provides an abutment against which one of the races of a roller thrust hearing unit 29 abuts, :the other race abutting against a shoulder 28'a tormed *by an annular recess in the adjacent fl ange section. Spaced axially from v the roller thrust bearing unit 29 is a similar thrust bearing unit 30. Abutting against the outer end of the sleeve 26 is a ring 31 which i-s Secured tovthe sleeve 26 `by a series of bolts 32. The ring 31 has an annular lip 33 which abuts against the inner cage of the thrust bearing unit 30, the outer cage abutting `against a shoulder 33a formed by an annular recess in the flange section. 2 Fitting between the outer end of the ring 31'and the shoulder 35 on the spindle 19 is a thrust sleeve 34 which fits over the spindle and transmits the thrust from the flange section parts to -the shoulder 35.

Abutt-ing against the outside of the flange section is an annular plate 36 which is Secured to the flange section -by a series of bolts 37. The plate 36 has a boss-like projection 36a which fits the edge portion of the fiange section. The flange plate 36 `cooperates With the ring 31 to provide an annular space to [receive :a lubricant seal assembly 39 of well known construction. A similar lubricant sea l assemb-ly 38 tits the annular collar 28 and cooperates with a ring Sta which is pressed into a socket formed in the inner end of the flange section. Thus the lubricant sea-is 38 and 39 seal the opposite ends of the cavity formed between the sleeve 26 and the flange section, this space receiving the roller thrust 'bearings 29 and 30 and providing a lubricant reservoir 40 which can be filled with lubricantafrom a di-agonal passage 41 which leads to the outside and is closed by a screw plug 42.

It will be understood that various sets? of teeding and forming rolls 14 and 18 are of different cross sectional shapes successively to bend the strip of metal gradually tothe desired form. It is important that the maximum diameter of the upper forming roll 14 :and the minimum diameter of the center section 22 of the lower roll 18 travel at the same peripheral speed -for the reason that these middle members constitute the driving elements for effecting travel of the strip through the machine without effecting a bending or -curling thereof longi-tudinally.

By employing one pair of feed rolls in each set in association with two idle flange sections, the latter are driven entirely by contact with the metal strip and may rotate `at such relative speeds 'as the strip itself effects by the speed of travel through the machine. In this way' there is no strain or stress placed upon the metal strip, such -as would result from the use of driving elements in the place 'of the idle flange sections when providing accura te means for rotatng the opposed pairs of forming rolls iat exactly the right proportionate speeds. The strips' consequently leave the machine without being curled or distorted to. any appreciable extent and the metal is not scored.

The advantages of the above described forming rol l 18 are multifold 'both from the aspeot of operation as well as assembly. In the 'first place, the center section 22 is fixed to the driving spindle so that it maintains a constant relation with and rotates in conformity to the up per roll 14. By mounting the end flanges 23 :and 24 on roller thrust bearings, these flange sections rota-te freely regardless of the degree of thrust'impo-sed thereon. It will he recognized that these pants `are extremely heavy, some :assemblies weighing over .a thousand pounds, andjunless' the fl ange sections can rotate treely under enormous lateral thrust conditions, the metal ribhonwill become scored and 3 i as a result the finished tube will be downgraded. By disposing the roller th'ust bearings in a bath of lubricant which can from time to time be replenished, the parts at all times run substanti-ally free of friction. The lubrcant is eifectively sealed within a chamber by sealing unts at opposite ends thereof. a

The number of parts is reduced to a minimum and the ease of assernbly is manifest from inspection of the drawings. With the front pedestal 12 removed and the roll 'spindles 15 and 19 supported by the rear pedestal 11, the first inner flange section 24 is mounted followed by the center section 22, the upper roll 14 and then the outer flange section 23. The fiange sections are simple in design so as to facilitate maehining Operations and keep the cost as low as possible.

Numerous changes in Construction and arrangement may be made without departirg from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In a tube mill having sets of Cooperativa feed and formng rolls for progressively shaping a ribbon of sheet metal into tubular form and advancing same and in which one of the rolls of each set has a central driven feed section and independently rotatable end flange sections mo-unted on a driven shaft, the improvement which comprses an elongate sleeve for each flange section concentrically mounted on the drive shaft at opposite ends of the central driven feed section, a pair of axially spaced roller thrust bearings interposed between each of said sleeves and the respective flange section for aording free rotation thereof regardless of the thrust load imposed thereon, each sleeve and its respective flange section definng therebetween a lubricant cavity communicating With both of said thrust bearings, hbricant seal means between each sleeve and the respective fiange section at nner and outer opposite 'ends of said cavity at the outer sides of said thrust bearings for closing the ends of said cavity, a pressed-on member for retaining the inne-r of each lubricant seal means in place, a pair of spaced concentric plates bolted to each flange section and sleeve respectively and receiving the outer lubricant seal means therebetween, and conduit means for introducng lubircant to said cavi-ty from the exterior of the respective flange sections.

References Cite in the file of this patent UNITED STATES BATENTS Higinbotham Mar. 18, 1919 

